US says it has 2,000 troops in Syria, not 900 as previously announced. syrian war news
The Pentagon says additional forces had been in Syria for ‘some time’, before the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, though they were not publicly disclosed.
After years of telling the public that the United States had about 900 troops in Syria, the Pentagon has revealed that there are about 2,000 troops there – double the previous estimate.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said additional US troops were already in Syria before the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad this month, though he did not specify a timeframe.
“We have been regularly informing you that approximately 900 US troops are deployed in Syria. “Given the situation and significant interest in Syria, we recently learned that those numbers were higher,” Ryder said.
“So, after asking to look into this, I learned today that, in fact, there are about 2,000 American troops in Syria.”
He said 900 troops are on long-term deployment to Syria while the rest are “considered a temporary rotational force”.
According to Ryder, a previously undeclared 1,100 troops have been in Syria “for some time.” Pressed by reporters for more information, a Pentagon spokesman said he had been deployed there for “at least” months.
The US began sending troops to Syria in 2014 with the stated aim of defeating ISIL (ISIS), but US forces remained in the country following the group’s territorial defeat in 2017.
Washington has formed an alliance with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which now controls large parts of eastern Syria.
However, Turkey, America’s NATO partner, views the SDF as a threat to its national security due to its ties to Kurdish armed organizations which it labels as a “terrorist” group.
After opposition fighters took control of western Syria and ousted al-Assad, they resumed fighting on the front lines in other parts of Syria, where the conflict had been stalled for months.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which dominates Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the new government in Damascus, has captured SDF-held areas over the past two weeks.
The possibility of a full-scale war between Turkey and Syrian forces backed by the SDF has raised questions about the future role of US troops in Syria.
On Thursday, Ryder said there were no planned changes to the US military presence in the country.
“There are no plans to stop the mission to defeat ISIS. I mean, again, ISIS continues to maintain or pose a significant threat,” he said.
In addition to its troops in eastern Syria, the US has said it is in direct talks with the new authorities in Damascus, although it continues to officially label HTS as a “terrorist” group.
Washington has made some demands, in which it has said that it wants to see a non-sectarian governance system in Syria.
“The transition process and the new government must fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to all in need, and prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbours.” Clear commitments must be maintained, and ensure that any chemical or biological weapons stockpiles are safely and securely destroyed,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement last week.
Meanwhile, Israel, one of America’s top allies, is bombing Syrian military assets and expanding its occupation beyond the Golan Heights, a move that has been widely condemned across the Middle East.
